


October Prompts

by ravensnwritingdesks



Category: Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (Movies)
Genre: AUs, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Animagus Newt, Auror Tina, Auror Tina at work, Baking, Beach Holidays, Captivity, Childhood Memories, Dancing, Dementors, Dragons, F/M, Farewell to old friends, Fighting, First Kiss, Friendship, Hellhounds, Hippogriffs, Love Letters, Magical Creatures, Nightmares, Piano, Pining, Reader-Insert (in one chapter), Script Format (in one chapter), Secrets, Slow Burn, Soulmate AU, Weddings, Werewolf AU, Winter, Young Gellert Grindelwald, first flights, relationships, wedding cakes, wwi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-03
Updated: 2017-10-31
Packaged: 2019-01-08 14:23:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 18,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12256143
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ravensnwritingdesks/pseuds/ravensnwritingdesks
Summary: A collection of my written fills forthisFantastic Beasts related Inktober prompt list. Because I just can't draw to save a life... ;)





	1. #1 Run

** No Escape **

The flat sound of his bare feet echoed along the endless stone walls as he ran.

_Turn left here._

The corridor looked just like the one before. Every corridor looked exactly the same in here and he was hopelessly lost after hours of searching for an escape.

_Turn right there._

Another dead end. The beat of his heart pounded loudly in his ears as stopped short and frantically pushed and scrambled at the solid stone. But nothing happened.

_There has to be a way out!_

He could make out the sound of malicious laughter in the distance. A sound that had every hair on his body raise up in dread. He turned around and took off to right, hoping to have better luck there.

He did not know where he was. Or even how long he had been here. But he knew that he needed to find a way out of this endless maze of stone-grey corridors.

_Turn left here._

He picked up his pace and ran even faster. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud.

_Left again here._

But his blood ran cold at the familiar sight in front of him. The very room he had woken up in. And he was not alone now. Before him stood that grinning bastard. That white-haired monster, whose evil laughter followed him into his dreams. His captor and tormentor.

Grindelwald.

“There you are, Mr. Graves! I was thinking you had lost your way.”

Percival took two steps back and tried to make another run for it… but the wizard and his wand were faster.

“ _Incarcerous!_ ”

The ropes bound him tightly as he crashed to the ground, unable to move even a finger.

“Now, where were we?” the man sneered and raised his wand.

He closed his eyes in defeat and prepared for another round of inexpressible pain.


	2. #2 Fight

** In a Matter of Seconds **

“You can’t keep doing this, Newt!” she said, discarding the tattered shirt to treat the wounds beneath. He was bleeding heavily where the skin of his upper arm gaped open.

“Keep doing what?” he asked and hissed in pain as the wet flannel touched his skin. “Rescue creatures in need? Because let me tell you, I can and I will keep doing that.”

 _Of course he would._ Tina threw the soiled rag back into the water bowl and reached for the Essence of Dittany. “I know. But you need to stop risking your life while doing it!”

Another pained hiss as the dittany dripped onto his wound. “You can hardly blame the beasts for defending themselves,” he bit out. “All they’ve ever known is hostility. How are they supposed to know this stranger is any different?”

“Did you really need to go about freeing that Manticore on your own, though?” She watched the wound mend itself bit by bit. The nasty gash on his arm was not the only injury the beast had inflicted on him after its release, though. More claw marks painted his face and back in red as well, but they were not as deep. “At least you didn’t get stung by the tail! We’re out of Bezoars after the Runespoor incident last month.”

He turned his head to look at her sharply. “What exactly is your problem, Tina? You knew my work was dangerous when we married.”

 _Dangerous._ She huffed and continued working on the next wound. “That’s no excuse for reckless stupidity though!”

“So, now I’m stupid?” He shook his head. “What was I supposed to do then? Wait for the Aurors to arrive on scene? Those traffickers and their buyer would have gotten away long before that. Merlin knows what that beast would have been made to suffer then.”

With a loud bang Tina smacked the glass bottle back onto the table. “What you need to do is stop putting the life of creatures before your own, Newt!”

“Well, someone has to stand up for them,” he replied with a frown. “I don’t tell you how to do your job either, do I?”

“And what would you know about the work of Aurors?” she scoffed.

“I’m married to one, remember?” Newt heaved a sigh. “If I’m reckless, then so are you. I was told you fainted again the other day, while dodging stunning spells!”

Tina crossed her ams defensively in front of her. “That had nothing to do with the attack.” _Nothing at all_.

Her husband nodded. “Point proven. You shouldn’t go to work when you’re feeling off! _That_ is reckless and stupid. What’s your excuse?”

“I’m pregnant,” she cried out.

Deafening silence followed. Then a whisper. “…what?”  

Tina sighed. This wasn’t how she had wanted to tell him. _Too late now._ “I’m pregnant, Newt. And I want our child to grow up with a father. So would you _please_ keep your own safety in mind?”

He swallowed. “You’re… pregnant?” She nodded. ”A child. Of course…. of course, I’ll…” Tears gathered in his eyes as a wide smile brightened his face. “I’ll be a father!“


	3. #3 Fly

**Into the Great Unknown **

He was not supposed to be in the stables by himself. But with Theseus at Hogwarts and his parents out there was no one to stop him. _You're too young to be around the 'Griffs_ , his mother always said. But he was eight years old now and tall enough to see over the gates without climbing on a crate. He could go into the stables!

Determined, Newt entered the stone building that housed his mother's Hippogriffs. Long rows of wooden boxes lined both sides of the hallway, each one home to a single beast. He turned right and stopped before the last box on the left. The beast behind the gate looked at him with curious eyes.

His name was Fairfeather, because he had silvery-white feathers and silvery-brown fur. Newt had been allowed to choose the name last year, so it was his Hippogriff, too.

He opened the wooden gate and stood still for a moment before bowing down. _Always bow to a Hippogriff before approaching_ , his mother had warned him time and again. And he had no desire to get a close-up look at Fairfeather's talons... at least not the pointy ends of them.

The Hippogriff gave a soft cry and bowed his head in response. Newt nearly jumped for joy before he remembered the next important lesson. _Never startle a beast unnecessarily!_

"Hello, Fairfeather." He slowly stepped into the box and held out his hand, waiting for him to make the first move. His shimmering feathers and fur were so beautiful... and so soft to touch! The beast nudged him with his beak and allowed him to be petted.

"Mother says I shouldn't be in here with you," Newt told him as he stroked along the beast's neck. "She says it's too dangerous. But that is not true."

The Hippogriff closed his eyes as Newt continued to gently pet his feathered head. "You like that, don't you?" he chuckled. Another cry followed before he kneeled down to give him even better access. But suddenly the beast's head moved around and shoved him onto his back before jumping to his feet again.

"Woah!" Newt scrambled to find purchase as the beast started moving. "Fairfeather, stop!" Too late he realised that he hadn't closed the gate behind him and Fairfeather was already halfway out of the stables by the time he had righted himself. "Please, stop!"

Another few steps and they were out in the open, under the grey morning sky. The Hippogriff stretched his wings and started into a gallop. "Oh no. No no no! Fairfeather, don't!"

Before he knew it the beast had lurched into the air and they were flying. Silvery wings beat strongly under him as he desperately clutched at the feathers in his hands. Below him the house and stables grew smaller, more and more distant as Fairfeather took him away on his flight to freedom. His mother would never find him... if she even wanted to look for him after letting one of her prized 'Griffs escape. He wasn't supposed to go into the stables after all!

But his worries lifted the moment he realised something. He was flying! High up in the sky on the back of a Hippogriff. 

"I'm flying!" he cried. Laughter bubbled up from inside him as he felt the strong breeze against his face. The beast echoed him with a joyful shriek of his own. Flying. They were both free to go and do as they liked.

"Oh, where should we go first, Fairfeather?" Newt wondered. "What shall be our first adventure?"

The Hippogriff made a slow turn to the left and took them north.

 


	4. #4 Tired

**Who would have guessed?**

The dinner had been a comfortable affair in their apartment, the apartment of the newly Mister and Misses Jacob Kowalski above Kowalski’s Quality Baked Goods. Queenie still couldn’t believe it… Only a week ago they had said their vows, two days ago they had returned from their honeymoon. And tomorrow Newt was set to return to London again.

“Don’t you think it’s getting awful late, Newt?” Tina asked after the satisfying dessert had caused a lull in their conversation.

“Huh?” He blinked at her for a moment before nodding in agreement. “Oh yes, it’s quite late. I should go… My beasts… And sleep. Very important, that. One should always get enough sleep, especially before travelling.”

Tina stifled a giggle. “No, you really wouldn’t want to be… tired for your journey.”

Newt finished the last of his wine instead of answering. His complexion did change into a deep pink, though.

Queenie did her best to not be curious, but she couldn’t help peeking into their minds after such a strange display. Newt only thought about the details of his feeding schedules, though, and adjustments that needed to be made. Tina, however, carefully hummed the Ilvermorny school song in her head…. something she always did when trying to hide something.

“But you can’t leave yet,” Jacob exclaimed. “It’s your last night here, buddy!”

“I know, but my ship is leaving early tomorrow morning… and I still need to make sure everyone in the case is ready for the journey.”

“I’ll help you with that,” Tina chimed in and moved to get up from the table.

“Yeah, we’re all gonna help you!” her husband agreed excitedly and sprung up as well.

Newt frowned. “Oh no, I wouldn’t want to… I’m sure you _newly-weds_ have much better things to do tonight.”

Queenie smirked at her husband, who promptly grinned in return. “Oh, well…”

“I’ll come by the bakery tomorrow morning,” the Brit promised. “But we really should get going now.”

Tina nodded and picked up both their coats as the couple hugged their friend goodbye.

It was only in the few seconds before they disapparated, arms linked and looking at each other, that Queenie got a good look at their actual thoughts…

“What was that all about?” Jacob wondered after the two of them had vanished with a crack. “It’s not even 9 pm… He can’t be tired yet, right?”

Queenie giggled hysterically. Everything made so much more sense now… “Oh, I don’t think either of them is _tired,_ honey. But I believe a bed might be involved anyway.” She wriggled her eyebrows suggestively.

“No! Really?”

She nodded and chuckled. “I’d say Newt’s gonna be back sooner than we think.”


	5. #5 Hurt

**Aurora**

“Shh. You’re going to be alright,” he soothed the creature in front of him as he carefully checked her flanks for further injuries. Dragons were resilient when it came to Muggle weaponry, but the rounds that had hit his Ukrainian Ironbelly must have been hexed to penetrate the hard scales and thick skin of the beast. At least five of them had found their mark.

“You’re going to be alright,” he repeated softly, though he knew it was a lie. The dark red pool forming underneath her grew by the second.

The mission had been an easy one: scout the forest area for enemy activities. One moment they had circled high in the sky as Newt surveyed the wast woodlands below him through the morning fog. The next, a whirring noise had zoomed in on them before his Dragon started screeching in pain and tipped into a tumbling descent. Nevertheless, she had done her best to keep her chosen rider – him – safe during the fall.

The beast breathed heavily and growled in warning when his hands came upon another entry wound. Like the others, the projectile had gone directly into her underside, puncturing chest and belly. A few others had pierced her leathery wings in numerous places. He used his wand to try and stop the bleeding but to no avail. Dragons were impervious to most spells… even the ones supposed to heal, it seemed.

Newt felt the tears running down his cheeks as she groaned in pain and red eyes looked at him in search for help. “There’s nothing I can do,” he whispered. “Nothing.”

He should have been more vigilant. From up there he should have seen the enemy camp before they even spotted him.

He had never heard a Dragon whimper. Not until now, as she tried and failed to breathe properly.

“I’m sorry. So sorry.”

The beast convulsed underneath him… and finally remained still. And Newt Scamander cried in agony.

 

The nearby sound of feet on the soft ground pulled him back from his mournful stupor. Soldiers, but whether they were his comrades or not he couldn’t say. He didn’t much care either.

“Scamander!”

His own people, then. She had nearly brought him home.

Someone shook his shoulder. “Are you alright, man?”

Newt turned to look at the soldier, unable to identify him through his watery eyes.

“She’s gone,” he murmured. “Aurora’s… My Dragon is gone. I failed her.”


	6. #6 Comfort

**Compassion**

Tina stepped into the headquarters of the New Salemers, where a few members of the society were still gathered.

"The meeting's over, darlin'," one of the men drawled as he passed her on his way out, but a few members of the society still remained. A smiling a girl appeared in front of her. "Can I help you, Miss?"

Tina held up the flyer she had been handed earlier that day. "I was just curious about this?"

The girl nodded. "Come on in. I'm Chastity. As the gentleman said, the meeting is already over. But if you have a few minutes to spare, my Ma will be downstairs to answer your questions."

Tina followed Chastity inside and took a look around. The room was filled with benches and a large wooden table covered in flyers and pamphlets. But she had seen them all before. Her assignment for the past month had been to observe the Second Salemers and their doings. Which was what had brought her here today.

It took her only a few moments to notice the dark-haired boy cowering near the bannister upstairs. His mother towered over him, a strip of leather held in hand. _Just as I thought... this mother beats him. And not even secretly._ There were still some people around, quietly talking in small groups. Next to her Chastity flinched at the sound of leather coming down on skin. _And not just the boy, it seems._

The girl smiled tightly now as she gestured for her to sit. "She'll be right with you."

But Tina had seen enough. _I have to help him_. She disapparated to reappear behind a surprised Mary-Lou Barebone, disarming the despicable woman with a flick of her wand moments later. Then she stunned her for good measure. The body hit the floor with a satisfying thump.

Slowly Tina approached the rocking and shivering boy and crouched next to him.

"It's okay," she whispered in a soothing voice and carefully reached out to touch his arm. He flinched at her touch. "I'm not here to hurt you."

He watched her from the corner of his mistrusting but hopeful eyes. "Wh-who are you?"

"I'm Tina. What's your name?"

He swallowed before croaking an answer. "C-Credence."

"Hello Credence." She smiled at him and stroked his shoulder. "I'm here to help you."

"Y-You can't," he whimpered. "I'm not-"

"Sure I can. And I will." She gathered Credence in a light embrace, trying to comfort him. The boy leaned into her touch like a man starved for affection. He probably was, too. Her arms tightened around him.

"H-How?" the boy whispered after a while.

They both had noticed that abominable woman beginning to move again. The stunning spell was slowly wearing off. "Let's get you out of here first, okay?"

Credence nodded, a movement barely visible even from up close. She helped him to get up, preparing to apparate.

Mary-Lou had regained consciousness again by the time they had moved to the back of the hallway, towards Credence's room.

"Witch," she called out and pointed at her. "Witch!"

That was the moment all hell broke loose. Cracks around them announced the arrival of Aurors, screams and screeches the terror of the No-Majs downstairs.

"Don't worry, you'll be alright," she muttered and apparated home.


	7. #7 Hobby

**A Communal Effort**

He hummed a merry tune as he kneaded a fresh batch of dough. Every surface of the communal kitchen in his tenement home was covered in a wild assortment of dishes and trays, most of them borrowed from neighboring families in return for baked goods. Jacob Kowalski had earned himself quite a reputation for baking in the past two years since his return, so the deals were easily made. And today he needed all the dishes could get… for the multiple kinds of fillings and toppings he used for his pastries.

Whistling, he danced between the oven and the kitchen table, finishing both baked goods and his song with a flourish as he sprinkled a last dash of cinnamon on top of the sugary buns. Another batch ready for the oven.

A brisk rap on wood pulled him from his peaceful state of mind. He turned to find the neighbor from the apartment below standing in the doorway.

“Mr. Kowalski, I got you that tray you asked for.”

“Thanks, Mrs. Wilson! Put it over there on the stove, would ya?”

The tray of lemon pastries in the oven looked very much done, so he swapped them with the cinnamon buns.

“Mmmh, smells wonderful in here!” his neighbor exclaimed and took a curious look around the orderly chaos of baked goods.

Jacob nodded. “It does, doesn’t it?” He picked one of the almond pastries from the still warm tray and handed it to her. “Here, have one!”

Delighted, Mrs. Wilson took the sugary treat from him and took a bit.

“Oh, that’s delicious! Where did you get that recipe?”

“My grandma left them to me. She knew I loved baking just as much as she did.”

She nodded and took another bite. “Baking… such a strange hobby for a man to have.”

He chuckled. “If it’s up to me, it’s not gonna be a hobby for much longer, Mrs. Wilson. I applied for a loan to open up a bakery.” He gestured around with a grin. “I’m taking these with me to the bank tomorrow.”

“Well, one taste of this and they’ll give you that loan for sure, Mr. Kowalski!”

Jacob hummed in agreement and poured flour into a fresh bowl. He needed to put out all stops if he wanted to convince those fancy people at the bank. If he didn’t, that dream of his very own bakery would just remain that. A dream.

 


	8. #8 Childhood

**Captured on Paper**

There it was. Tina blew over the old cardboard box in her hand, causing the gathered dust to hover in the air for a moment before descending to the floor. The vibrant colors had faded over time, but the printed writing on the carton was still visible. _Evening Jasmine,_ it said. Her mother’s favorite soap.

She settled at the kitchen table and put the box down in front of her before untying the familiar twine holding it together. With a smile, she lifted the lid to reveal the treasure within.

Pictures.

A young Queenie with a pink bow in her curly blonde hair smiled up at her from the topmost photograph and winked. _Regina, 1910_ it read on the back in her mother’s elegant handwriting.

The picture underneath was one of herself, excitedly twirling around in her new Ilvermorny robes. She had been so excited to start school… _Porpentina, 1912._ That year their parents had passed away, only days before winter break. She put the picture next to Queenie’s and dug deeper into the treasure trove.

There was the wedding photograph of her parents, not yet a moving one as the solution hadn’t been invented in those days. Stunning still portraits of both her mother and grandmother in younger years. Little Queenie and their father dancing around their living room.

“Oh, I remember that day,” her sister whispered and took the picture from her hand. “Pa’s birthday.” She giggled. “You took this with the camera Ma borrowed from the neighbors that day. It’s all blurry, see.”

“Yeah, it is,” she chuckled and took up the next one on the pile. The curious expression of her ten-year-old self blinked up at her.

A short memory resurfaced at the sight. _You need to hold it very still, pumpkin. Like this._ Her mother had explained to her how to use the camera as she took it. Tina smiled. The day had ended with muscle strain from all the laughter and too much raisin cake for both of them.

“What are we gonna do with these?” she wondered and turned to look up at her sister.

Their apartment was nearly empty of personal things by now. Queenie Kowalski had moved out to live with her husband nearly a year ago. And Tina herself… Well, she was due to leave for England the day after next, where her own future awaited her.

“You keep them, honey,” Queenie said. “All but one.” She picked up an even blurrier picture than the one before, moving outlines and shadows she barely recognized as their parents and herself. “I’ll keep this one here.”

Tina didn’t need to peek at the back of the photograph to know what it said.

_For my sweetest Queenie, who never takes no for an answer. Love, Momma_

 


	9. #9 Alternate Universe...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... in which Credence is a Goldstein and never met the abominable Mary Lou Barebone.

**The Third Sibling**

“Turn right here…”

He really did not want to be here, but Miss Goldstein now half marched, half dragged them up the front steps of the brick building, through the door and up many flights of run-down steps. There was no escape.

Mr. Kowalski did not look not well at all when they finally stopped in front of an apartment door, swaying on his feet and sweating profusely. The man needed medicine, though he wasn’t sure his concoction against Murtlap bites would actually work in this case.

Laughter rang from the other side as the dark-haired witch fiddled with her keys and soon they were ushered into a small but well-kept front room serving as both living room and kitchen. Two people worked and giggled at the only table, a dark-haired boy no older than twenty and a blonde woman in her twenties.

“Welcome home, sister!” the boy called out, frowning when he noticed their presence. “Huh, you didn’t say anything ‘bout company for tonight, Teen. Got yourself some beaus, did ya?”

Miss Goldstein sighed. “Gentlemen, meet my brother Credence-” The boy chuckled and waved. “-and my sister, Queenie.”

The blonde mustered them curiously. “Okay, not your beaus… So, who are they then?”

“That’s Mr. Scamander,” she explained while hanging up her coat and hat. “He’s committed a serious infraction of the National Statue of Secrecy.”

“Oh, a criminal!” the boy, Credence, exclaimed and whistled.

“Shut it, Dewdropper,” the older sister shot back. “This here is Mr. Kowalski. He’s a No-Maj.”

“A No-Maj!” Newt heard the blonde giggle as he made his way to the windows. There had to be a way out of here. “What are you up to, Teen?”

“Why, Mrs. Grundy here is finally letting loose a little,” the brother chuckled.

Newt turned back around to find both younger siblings in stitches at the comment. For a short moment, he caught the witch’s eyes, deeply sympathizing with her for being the siblings’ laughing stock. He knew that feeling quite well.

But Miss Goldstein turned back to regard them sternly and crossed her arms. “We’ve got guests, you two. Where are your manners, huh?” The oldest sister, indeed.

“Oh, you need to sit down, honey!” Queenie suddenly exclaimed and jumped up, just as Mr. Kowalski began to stagger and crashed onto the sofa. “He hasn’t eaten all day!”

“I’m on it.” Credence waved his wand and a glass of pumpkin juice sailed through the air towards the Muggle. “Drink this, you’re gonna feel better.”

Newt tried to remain invisible as the others crowded around the man, who now sipped at his drink while the blonde kept him company. Fourth floor… escape would be easiest by the way they had come: through the front door.

“Right. Dinner’s gonna be in a few, Gentlemen,” the dark-haired witch announced and joined her brother for said dinner preparations, muttering to herself.

_Perfect_ , Newt thought and silently made his way to the door. With everyone busy, they wouldn’t notice him slipping out… this was his best chance. His hand already touched the doorknob when the chiming voice of Queenie Goldstein called him out, though.

“Mr. Scamander. Do you prefer pie or strudel?”

He froze as every eye in the room suddenly turned on him… some confused, others severely disappointed. Those were the ones that stung the most.

“Uhm. I really don’t have a preference,” he admitted, now embarrassed for trying to silently slip away.

“No no, you gotta try the strudel,” Credence prompted him with an eager grin. “It’s to die for!”

Newt smiled awkwardly. “In that case… Strudel?”

“Good choice, “ the boy nodded. “Teenie here _loves_ strudel.”

That earned him a playful slap on the shoulder from the witch in question. “Go chop the carrots, mister, or there will be none for you tonight!”


	10. #10 Typography

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This prompt is hard to do in writing. My online search yielded lots of art painted with words for this term, though, so I decided to do just that and painted a picture with many many words… Beware the Purple Prose!

**She walks in Beauty**

Tina… lovely, ethereal Tina with her bewitching beauty. The sight of her now, sitting across from him at the dinner table, stole his breath.

Lustrous hair in the color of molten chocolate framed her face in soft, wavy strands. He still remembered the silky feel of them on his fingertips from when he had once caressed them in a rare moment of brazen courage.

High on her cheeks, a rosy blush painted her fair skin, the pleasing result of an evening spent with much laughter and wine. Her rose-colored lips, so full and inviting him to be kissed, perfectly matched those cheeks in hue. The upper lip, he knew, dipped to form a perfect cupid’s bow when not turned up in a breathtakingly beautiful smile. Just as it was not.

And then there were her eyes. In the low light of the room, they resembled twin pools of luring darkness, glistening with a watery reflection of the candles flickering in the space between them.  A darkness he would gladly drown himself in if only he were allowed to do so.

Her slender fingers held the glass of wine and lifted it to her lips to drink. It was the sudden shock of feeling her gaze on him as well, that pulled him back from his admiring thoughts. One perfectly arched eyebrow raised itself in question and Newt quickly averted his eyes. He cleared his throat, quickly taking up his own glass to mask the embarrassment at being caught out.

Next to him, Queenie gleefully giggled. “Wine invokes the poet in all of us. Doesn’t it, Mr. Scamander?”


	11. #11 Pet/Animagus/Patronus

**In The Wild**

This forest is haunted, they had said in warning. A huge beast with wild, glowing red eyes struck terror into the hearts of those who came here, they had told him. It had been over a year now since that evil took up residence here… and that was what had caught Newt’s attention.

No one had been able to properly describe what they had seen. Certain parts of the forest gave the villagers the urge to leave and never come back.  He felt certain, this whole thing was magical in origin.

Next to him, Jacob began to shiver. “I got a real bad feeling about this place, Newt.”

He nodded. Muggle-repelling barriers did not work on wizards, which is why he had allowed Jacob to come with for once. “We’re getting closer, then.”

Suddenly, a huge black dog appeared from the bushes in front of them. The beast barked and snarled viciously, causing Jacob to shy away in horror and stumble over a hidden root. He fell to the ground with a surprised “Oomph.”

“You alright, Jacob?” Newt inquired without taking his eyes of the creature.

“Yeah, I’m good,” his friend replied. “Be careful, man. That’s one giant dog.”

Newt proceeded with caution and stepped a little closer despite the warning growls. “Easy there. We mean you no harm.”

He crouched low to appear unthreatening and took a good look at the creature. It did indeed look like a dog… but something seemed off about it. Long black fur covered it, dirty and matted from its time spent here in the wild. Sharp teeth were bared at him in threat. Nothing but a wild dog, if it weren’t for the gigantic size… the beast was nearly as tall as he was.

A long and deep gash was visible at the massive hindleg, that surely must hurt a lot. “No wonder, you don’t like strangers,” he murmured. It looked almost like a curse wound…

Newt risked a quick glance at the creature’s eyes. They were not exactly glowing red but a deep brown… and contrary to its outward demeanor, the look in them was not at all aggressive. Desperate came to mind, and scared. No, something was definitely off with this hellish beast.

Then it clicked.

“Jacob, I don’t believe this is a dog.” The beast snarled angrily as he spoke out, but to his relief didn’t move otherwise.

“What’d you mean? Of course, it is! And he needs to learn some bloody manners.”

Newt shook his head. “No, I think this is a hellhound.”

A beat. “A _what_ now?” the No-Maj exclaimed. “Don’t tell me those are real, too!”

The creature reacted with a litany of threatening barks at the cry. It took a whole of five minutes until it had calmed again somewhat and didn’t look ready to mangle them anymore.

“Yes and no,” Newt explained softly, to his friend just as much as to the creature. “It’s an old curse, very old and not that well-known. It transforms people into feral beasts… known as hellhounds in common folklore. It’s powerful Dark Magic.”

The hound emitted a deep growl and suddenly Newt was sure, it understood him perfectly.

“You’re no creature at all, are you? Someone cursed you and kept you here.” A slow but deliberate blink seemed to confirm his suspicions.

Newt slowly pulled his wand from the holster inside his sleeve. “Let me help.”

“What are you doing?” Jacob whispered, horrified.

“Trying my hand at curse-breaking.” He’d only read about this kind of magic before, but he was willing to give it a try.

After three failed attempts he finally got it right. The beast shrieked and shrunk and finally turned into a man, scarred, filthy and unclothed.

Newt gasped. Between the long, shaggy hair and a year’s growth of beard, it was nearly impossible to recognize him… but he had seen that face often enough in his nightmares to identify him even so. “Director Graves.”


	12. #12 Busy

**Strains of Office**

A knock on the door to her office pulled Seraphina Picquery from her thoughts. _What is it now?_ She put the half-empty glass of whiskey down on the side-table and called for the new visitor to enter. She breathed an inward sigh of relief when the door opened.

“You asked to see me, Madam President?” Percival Graves announced his presence as he entered her office. Just the man she needed.

“Graves, yes.” She gestured for him to sit. “Drink?”

Her Director of Magical Security, as usual, declined with a shake of his head. Graves never much liked to indulge when on the clock. Instead, she topped up her own glass before returning to her desk.

“I’ve received an urgent missive from Europe earlier today. They request backup in the search for Grindelwald.”

The Director of Security raised an eyebrow. “And how will we respond this time?”

“We will grant their request, of course.”  

Graves nodded once, though his wellfounded surprise was only barely veiled. Any previous request of the kind had been denied time and again… Grindelwald was not America’s problem to deal with.

“Then I will send some of my best Aurors, Ma'am.”

“No,” she declared and fixed him with a look that, she knew, spoke of her total authority. “I want you to _take_ your best Aurors, Graves. You will be part of the team I send.”

The surprise was clearly etched onto his face now. “Is that a wise choice, Ma'am? I am more needed here.”

“This time the Intel looks very promising, success almost guaranteed.” She handed him the file lying in front of her. “If this mission leads to the capture of Grindelwald, I want our forces to be a part of it and I need them to be well represented. You and five of your Aurors will join the effort. Let’s hope, this time he will not slip through the net again.“  

After a quick perusal, the man flipped the file shut and nodded. "As you wish, Ma'am. When are we to leave?”

“Berlin expects you tomorrow. I hope your German is not rusty yet, Director Graves.”

His free hand clenched around the armrest of the chair. “After four years of-”

Another knock on her office door cut him off. _Always these bloody interruptions._ One of Graves’ Aurors appeared in the doorway.

“What?” she hissed out. “We’re busy.”

The Auror flinched. “I’m sorry for the interruption, Ma'am, but… Director Graves, there’s been an incident that needs your immediate attention.”

Graves fixed the intruder with a glare. “Let someone else handle it, Johnson. We’re busy here.”

The Auror did no budge, though he looked quite uncomfortable now. “Sir… You’ll want to take this yourself. It’s about Goldstein.”

Goldstein… promising young Auror, if Graves’ accounts were to be believed, though still a bit green.  

“What about her?” the Director asked. Interestingly, he seemed more tense now than before.

“She’s… gone rogue. On assignment.”

“The Barebone Case?” A nod from Johnson confirmed it.

“Dammit, Goldstein!” he seethed and sprung to life. “I need to look into this, Madam President. You’ll have my list by tonight.”

Seraphina nodded. “Go and deal with this, Graves. We cannot have our Aurors go rogue.” _Now now, not ever._

When the door closed behind him, she reclined against her chair with a sigh and nursed her whiskey while flipping through another file. In ten minutes, her Keeper of Treasure and Dragots was due for his weekly meeting. _A pleasure I’d gladly decline._


	13. #13 Silhouette

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This art style is impossible to translate into writing, so I just took the prompt literally and made it about someone’s silhouette.

**When It Rains**

“I thought it was supposed to be warm and sunny in Italy.”

Newt opened his eyes to look at her, standing in front of the small window of the room. Behind the glass, a quickly approaching rainstorm painted the sky in a foreboding shade of grey as lightning flickered in the distance.

“It usually is,” he replied and shrugged. “Just our luck.”

Her head shook with a chuckle. She was a dark contrast against the grey clouds as she gazed out into the distance. A beautiful silhouette. He silently shifted and reached for the camera.

Shivering, Tina pulled the fabric of her shawl closer around her shoulders as he fiddled with the still unfamiliar dials to adjust the focus of the lens. 

“We’ve been here all of two days now and I have yet to see something resembling the famed Mediterranean sun. For this, we could have stayed back in England, you know.”

The camera clicked, capturing the enthralling sight before him on film.

She whipped around to look at him. “Did you just take a picture of me?”

“I did,” Newt chuckled and put the camera away again.

She grimaced but her expression quickly returned to a soft smile. “I shouldn’t have gotten you that thing… you were supposed to use it to document magical creatures.”

“But that is what I’m doing,” he replied innocently and grinned. “You are the most magical of all.”

Tina laughed and turned back to gaze out of the window. He knew she was hiding a blush from him. 

“Now, since we’re clearly not going out today… how about you come back to bed, Mrs. Scamander?” 

He pulled back the blanket and patted the empty space next to him, where he reclined against the headboard. “I would hate for my wife to catch a cold on her honeymoon.”


	14. #14 Different Style

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried my hand at a reader insert for this one, as well as writing in the present tense. What a weird experience.

**Strangers**

A man and a woman, reluctantly saying goodbye at the docks. Somehow, the pair had caught your eyes as you walked past the boarding entrance and now you watch the scene unfold through one of the many portholes of the lower deck.

It was plain to see that neither of them wanted to take their leave just yet, engaging the other in conversation until they were the last people out on the dock. You couldn’t help but wonder about their story. He will be the one leaving, the man with the blue coat and a battered suitcase wrapped in twine. The dark-haired woman would stay behind in New York.

You jump at the sudden sound of the ship’s horn, calling all passengers on board. The couple still lingers outside, hastily sharing a few last words now that there was no more delaying the inevitable. With a touch to her cheek, he finally leaves her… only to turn back halfway up the gangway.

You chuckle at the sight as the man hurried back to her for one more word. The woman finally beams at him and nods, and so does he. The man in the blue coat stops again halfway up the passageway… this time he continues on, though, and only moments later bustles past you with determined strides. Curiously, he does not look back at her.

Down at the dock, you notice the woman still looking after him with a content expression on her face. The gangplank is removed, the boarding door shuts with a bang and the ship begins to move… and the woman finally heads back into the city. Only a light skip in her step betrays her glee. With a smile on your face and a sudden warm feeling inside your chest, you continue on your own way to the upper deck.

The refreshing breeze is your constant companion on your walk around the ship. A cleaner and much lighter air than you had been subjected to while in New York… despite the tangy smell of ocean water all around. When you arrive at the stern of the ship, you spot a familiar figure in a blue coat. The man from the lingering couple, with the case wedged between his feet. He gazes out across the water, back towards the coast, where Lady Liberty is still, but only barely, visible.

You stop and lean on the railing right next to him. The man looks at you briefly before returning his eyes to start of their journey. 

“Leaving someone behind on the other side of the ocean?” you ask after a while.

He glances at you from underneath a messy fringe of reddish hair and nods. “Yes.”

“Your sweetheart, I assume.”

“She’s not-” He pauses and blinks at you before shaking his head. “I left a number of friends in New York.”

“Yet, she alone was there to see you off.” You chuckle at his frown and try to explain. “I saw you hurrying up the gangway after saying goodbye to her. Hard to miss, since you were the last passenger aboard.”

The man blushes and turns back to look out over the ocean again. He clearly isn’t the type to talk much… or too lost in thoughts of his time in New York.

“She left with a happy skip in her step, you know,” you tell him after a moment. “I thought you’d like to know. So… if she isn’t your sweetheart now, I’m sure she will be the next time you leave.”

He doesn’t answer you, but a smile slowly grows on his lips.

You push back from the railing to continue your turn around the deck. “See you around, stranger.”

He nods his head in farewell and adds a quiet “Thank you”, barely audible over the ocean breeze.

 


	15. #15 Comic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since this is another prompt hard to do in writing, I adapted this one from a comic to a script… and I’m not sure this form of writing is agreeing with me.All the kudos to JKR for managing it so well for Fantastic Beasts and it's sequels.
> 
> I might actually put this into an actual fic at some pint... this little plotbunny has been running around my mind for ages already.

**Scene 1**

_Int. The Goldstein’s Livingroom - 1931. Late afternoon._

_Quiet laughter is heard from outside the apartment door before it’s opened. NEWT and TINA enter smiling and put their coats onto the rack as they return from a party. They are dressed in their finest clothes._

TINA: Would you like some tea?

NEWT: Yes, please.

_NEWT settles onto the couch and watches TINA while she prepares the beverages. She joins him holding two steaming mugs, one of which she offers him._

NEWT: Thank you.

_NEWT takes a sip while TINA slips off her shoes and gets comfotable next to him. They sit in companionable silence for a while.  
_

NEWT: So… what are you going to do now that your sister is gone? It won’t be easy to get used to, I imagine.

TINA ( _chuckling)_ : She’s been more or less living at Jacob’s for a few months now. It’s nothing new, really.

_NEWT hums and sips more of his tea. TINA watches him for a moment before coming to a decision._

TINA: I’m gonna miss her, for sure. But now that Queenie’s married… I’m finally free to think about my own future, too, you know?

NEWT: That promotion at work you mentioned?

_TINA nods. There is something else on her mind though._

TINA: That and… matters of my own heart, I guess If someone were to actually be interested, that is.

_NEWT grows silent. He starts fidgeting, then gets up and moves to look out of the window, crossing his arms protectively in front of his chest as he does so. TINA looks after him in confusion… and with a hint of disappointment._

TINA: Newt?

NEWT ( _quietly)_ : Please don’t-.

_He takes a deep breath and squares his shoulders to feign confidence. He keeps staring out the window._

NEWT: I’m trying my best to be your friend, Tina. But it’s hard and… I have not reached a point yet where I’m ready to… to hear you talk about other men in your life. I don’t know if I ever will. ( _He pauses.)_ What I wrote to you in my letter last year… it still-. Actually, I’m not sure it ever reached you. You didn’t say anything… or replied. But I suppose you must have, Hardy never fails to deliver his letters-.

TINA ( _quietly)_ : I did get it. And I read it… many, many times. ( _A pause._ ) Newt, will you look at me, please? _  
_

_NEWT takes a moment but then turns around slowly, unable to not do as she asked. He doesn’t meet her eyes._

TINA: You never mentioned it again afterwards… but I need to know: Do you still feel that way about me?

NEWT ( _speaking to the floor)_ : Yes. But I know now that you don’t return the sentiment, so I won’t-

TINA: I do.

_NEWT, clearly surprised, looks up at her. _TINA regards his shocked expression with a pained smile.__

NEWT: What?

TINA: I do. I feel the same way. And I was hoping… I was hoping we could-

NEWT ( _eager_ ): Yes!

_Full of hope, NEWT hurries to sit beside her and takes her hands into his._

NEWT: Please, anything but this… silence, Tina. What is it you-?

_TINA leans forward and presses her lips to his. What was supposed to be a short gesture, turns into a gentle, exploratory kiss. They part with a gasp but remain close, heads resting together. His hand cradles her cheek._

NEWT ( _whispering in awe)_ : Why didn’t you tell me? Just… One sentence. One word. A postscript to one of your letters…

TINA: I wanted to. ( _A pause as she swallows._ ) I did, but I couldn’t send any of them. Not while my sister was still depending on me, Newt. I promised to take care of her… I couldn’t be so selfish.

_NEWT regards her for a long moment, nods slowly as he understands her meaning._

NEWT: You wouldn’t have been selfish. We could have waited to make it official… a long courtship until-. 

TINA ( _shaking her head)_ : Over four years? And there were no guarantees she could ever marry the man who makes her happy. I couldn’t do that to her… or to you.

NEWT: Four years… Paris.

TINA: Paris, yes. That was when I knew for sure.

NEWT: Then, don’t let us wait another four years. Please… may I kiss you again?

_TINA smiles and nods. NEWT leans in to kiss her._


	16. #16 Family

**Good News**

Family was a strange thing, Newt mused as he looked around the dinner table. There was the one you were born into, the one you had no choice but to belong to. If you were lucky, there was a loving bond formed between those people and yourself… much like the one between the two Goldstein sisters. If you were not, though, family was nothing but a name… and even a heavy burden to carry, in the worst of cases.

And then there was the kind of family you could build yourself, find in the most unlikely of places and circumstances. These were strong bonds and connections formed through hardship, suffering and mutual admiration… something that went beyond mere friendship. And it was a far more precious thing to have than he would ever have imagined.

“I, um, I have some… news to share,” he announced, causing three pairs of curious eyes to focus on him.

While the first kind of family was often riddled with all manners of secrets and things kept hidden, the second sort would brook no such thing. Not that he would want to keep such information as he had unearthed to himself. It just wouldn’t do.

“Well, not news really. I, eh, I did some research while I was travelling around Europe to promote my book and… I found something interesting.”

He felt a slight tickling sensation inside his brain mere moments before Queenie began to gasp in shock. “Please don’t make this up, Newt.”

“I wouldn’t.” Queenie squealed and nearly pushed him from his chair with her hug.

The two other people looked on in confusion. “Wanna share?” Tina inquired.

“Yes, uhm. It turns out that Jacob has magical ancestry,” he told them as he righted himself in his seat again. “And I brought the paperwork to prove it.”

“Wait, what now?” Jacob frowned. “What d'you mean, I got magical ancestry?”

Newt grinned. “Your grandfather on your mother’s side was a squib, Jacob. He came from a wizarding family, but had no magical abilities himself and lived as a Muggle. It explains why your reaction to magic has been so different from other non-magic people.” 

“Huh!” He pondered this for a moment before continuing. “And that’s of use how? I still got no magic skills or nothin’.”

“No, but it means you have some magical blood.” Tina gave Newt a thankful smile that caused his chest fill with pleasant warmth. “And with the proper documentation you can demand to be treated as a squib before the laws of MACUSA, now.”

“And that’s better than a No-Maj?”

Queenie grinned nodded enthusiastically. “There’s no laws keepin’ me from marrying a squib, Jakey!”

Newt couldn’t help but feel happy for them as Jacob’s jaw dropped to the floor. After years of hiding it was about time for the couple to make it official… and finally become a real family.


	17. #17 Creatures AU

**Bitten**

The boy crouched in a dark corner by the subway rails, shaking heavily and sweating after the exertion of his rampage. He obviously had no control whatsoever over his abilities… He couldn’t have been turned long ago.

“Credence. It’s Credence, right?”

A slight nod. Newt crouched down to be level with him There was no reason to trigger his confused instincts again by acting too threatening… it would only result in another unwanted change, followed by another exposing chase around the city.

“I’m Newt. Can I come over to you?”

Credence didn’t answer, but his eyes begged him for help. Newt slowly took a step forward. He could sense the boy’s fear, smell it all around him. It made his own animal impulses flare up as the hair at the back of his neck stood on end. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly to calm down.

The young one copied him on instinct.

“Yes, keep breathing,” he encouraged him. “Calm and slow. That’s it.”

“What’s happening to me?” Credence whispered after a few more breaths. “I don’t-. What’s happening?”

“You’re changing.” Newt only too well remembered the confusion of the first time… the enhanced senses, strange instincts warring inside you, the loss of control when the other side took over unchecked. Learning to control it had been the hardest part to deal with.

“Changing?”

Newt nodded. “Who bit you, Credence?”

“Bit me?”

“Was it someone you know?”

“A… a dog bit me. A few days ago.” He help up his hand, still covered in a now dirty bandage. The wound would be healed by now, Newt knew. They always were gone by the time they turned.

“A dog… or rather a wolf? One with white and grey fur, dissimilar eyes… a bit of a temper?” The boy slowly nodded and Newt sighed. He’d been too late, then… and Grindelwald had most likely left the city already to seek exposure somewhere else.

“What am I?” He started shaking again and Newt sensed that another shift was imminent. The animal side was close to winning the battle inside the boy’s head again.

“You’re like me now, Credence. A werewolf. Man and beast… You can feel it under your skin, can you not?”

His attention drifted for a moment as he heard a set of feet approaching not too far away. They were Tina’s, he knew immediately and relaxed again. The young one had noticed them too. “Don’t be afraid. She’s a friend.”

But Credence was already beginning to shift into wolf form before him, crying out in pain and confusion as the animal took over for him. It was completely involuntarily… when distressed, the beast tended to take the reins for a bit. A severe form of the fight or flight reaction, as the wolf was better equipped for both. He slowly stood up and maintained eye contact with the black wolf now in front of him, trying to assert his dominance as the elder.

“Don’t run off again, Credence.” Tina was close now. He could smell her, and her anxiety. She skidded to a halt on the tracks at the sight of the beast before him. 

“Newt!” she called out, clearly worried. At the sound of her voice Credence tensed and dashed off into the dark tunnels.

Newt cursed loudly. He threw his coat off in Tina’s general direction and shifted right before her eyes, running after the young one to safe him from harm. He heard a shocked gasp somewhere behind him, but that was something to worry about later. He would not lose another one. Not again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Grindelwald is the big bad wolf here, out to expose his kind to humans and cause a war (so basically the same as in FBAWTFT). I deliberately chose not to go with the werewolves we know from the Harry Potter/Fantastic Beasts world here, though…


	18. #18 Tattoo/Soul-Mark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This also doubles as a fill for @fantasticprompts second [Promptober Prompt](https://fantasticprompts.tumblr.com/post/166388759565/fantastic-promptober-oct-14), so I took soul-mark in a different direction than originally intended.

**Always On My Mind**

Queenie Goldstein hears all kinds of strange things and she often gets told off for knowing things she shouldn’t. It takes a while for the family to realise that their youngest daughter is a natural Legilimens. But despite lots of practise to live with her gift, some thoughts she can never quite manage to match to a face.

 

She keeps her Legilimency to herself when she finally follows her sister to Ilvermorny. By the end of first year, she can distinguish most students and teachers by their mind-voice alone. Still, every so often her thoughts are filled with a voice belonging to no one around.

“Teenie, I’m hearing things.”

_You’re a Legilimens_ , her sister thinks in reply while working on a paper. _Sure, you do._

“But these thoughts got no faces to go with it.”

Her sister grows still and turns to look at her. _She’s too young…_ “Do you hear those thoughts at night, Queenie?”

“Yeah, but also during the day. And sometimes they’re getting awful loud, too.”

“That’s… strange.” _I only hear him at night, in my dreams. Everyone I know of does._

“Oh! You thinks it’s… my soulmate?”

Tina shrugs. “Could be. But you shouldn’t even have those thoughts yet… they only start around 15 for most.”

“You got yours at 13, Teen!”

“Yes. And you know I wish I hadn’t.”

She nods. Her sister’s soulmate had been shipped off to a war in Europe around the same time… something she found hard to deal with still. Most mornings she scanned the papers for any news of the Eastern Front.

“What am I gonna do? Go and find them?”

“No. Treat it like any other voice, try and shut it out during the day. Otherwise you ain’t gonna get your studying done and fail all classes.”

 

_Expeditionary forces… Let’s hope, I’m not gonna die over there_. Queenie wakes with a start to those thoughts appearing in her dreams at the start of third year. Her heart pounds fast inside her chest, sweat clinging to her brow. Now her soulmate is leaving for Europe, too, to fight in that horrible No-Maj war.

Mere weeks after shipping off, nightmares begin to plague her him, bleeding into her afternoons. She tries her best to shut the voice out during the day, concentrating on school and her friends instead. _I wish magic was real,_ she hears one night and learns that her soulmate is a No-Maj. It could never be.

 

One morning in spring of 1918 a sudden and overwhelming sadness comes over her for no reason at all… until she focusses on the thoughts of her soulmate. _No. No! Not him. Please, not him!_ Queenie ditches class and cries with him for the loss of his brother. She wishes she knew who the man was so she could write to him at least.

 

“Teenie, you brought men home!”

_I think I know that voice,_ she hears from one of the strangers entering their flat. The stout man in an ill-fitting suit, since she can’t read the Brit next to him. Queenie bites her lip, trying to hide a too bright smile. She knows that voice too… it has been with her for years now.

Her sister just brought her soulmate home.

“Who are they?”


	19. #19 Fanfic Illustration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obviously, I had to turn this prompt around, so I wrote a little something for [this Tina Goldstein fanart](http://hokorii.tumblr.com/post/155194236121/porpentina-on-the-fire-escape-someone-asked) by @hokorii on tumblr.

**Fire Escape**

It was a lovely New York City night and Tina did not want to waste it away by reading in her bedroom. She opened one of the windows and expertly climbed out onto the fire escape. Tonight, the stars were out and for once clearly visible in the dark night sky… from up here she had a perfect view.

“Tina?” She smiled when she heard Newt shuffle around behind the half-closed door to her bedroom, still not sure whether he was allowed to enter here or not.

“You can come in,” she chuckled and ducked her head back through the window to greet him. “I’m out here.”

“What are you doing there?” he asked as he finally stepped into the room.

“Watching the stars, of course. It’s a lovely night.”

She moved back outside as Newt leaned onto the window sill and had a look himself. A cool breeze promptly ruffled his hair, making it stick up even more than usual. Tina chuckled.

He inhaled deeply and smiled up at her. “Well, it certainly smells better up here than down in the streets. Mind if I join you?”

Tina shook her head and with that he jumped up and joined her outside in the fresh night air.

Side by side they stood at the railing and looked out over the rooftops of Manhattan for a while, neither speaking, but ever so often stealing hidden glances when the other was not looking.

“It’s… nice. Do you come out here often?” Newt wondered.

“Not as much as I used to.” She smiled at him. “I recently found a new place to hide away in, you know.”

He met her gaze and slowly nodded, before looking out over the roofs of New York again. He swallowed. “Tina, I… I feel I should apologize for… my transgression this morning. I don’t know what came over me to… to do that. I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be, Newt.” She noticed a new tension in his frame when she mustered him for a moment. It did not look well on him. “Unless you never mean to do it again.”

He turned to look at her, blinking in confusion. “… again?”

She nodded. “Only if you’d like to.” A small smile spread across her lips. “I’d like that, act-.”

But Newt had already stepped into her personal space and leaned in to touch his lips to hers. Just as he had done this morning. Only this time, he did not pull back again in shock. Instead he continued to put his arm around her waist as she sighed into the kiss.  

“ _Merlin_ , you’re freezing, Tina!” he whispered after a long, wonderful moment and pulled her closer against his warm body. Tina only now realised it herself, shivering slightly at the welcome contact.

“I’m okay, just… Stay with me for a bit?”

Newt nodded and continued to keep her warm as he best saw fit… until a loud cough from inside the apartment broke them apart.

“That’s my cue, I suppose,” he sighed and took a step back.

“Yeah. It’s awful late if Queenie is back again.”

He chuckled and smirked, then summoned his coat and draped it gently over Tina’s shoulders before leaving. “To keep you warm out here.”

She wrapped the blue wool tightly around herself as she watched him go, noticing the scent of him lingering in the fabric with a smile. The Magizoologist’s presence was soon replaced by her sister’s. 

“Someone enjoyed herself tonight,” she giggled and handed her a cup of hot cocoa. “About time, I gotta say.”

“Oh, hush!” She chuckled and shook her head. “Go to bed, sis. It’s why you wanted him out of here, isn’t it?”

Queenie nodded and climbed back inside, rummaging about while getting ready for bed. Tina remained outside on the fire escape for a quite while longer, a smile on her face as she tried (and failed) not to think about Newt’s lips.


	20. #20 Funny

**Just Peachy**

“Thanks for being here, pal!”

“Of course, Jacob.” Newt smiled and straightened the man’s tie one more time. He kept fidgeting so much, it always became skewed again.

“How long are you staying this time? I mean, you didn’t travel all the way here  just for the wedding, did you?”

Newt smiled. “No. There’s some business to discuss with MACUSA while I’m here. And my publisher managed to schedule a book signing at the Broken Quill after my Ilvermorny lecture is done. I’ll still be in town when you come back from your honeymoon.”

So it’s ore of a working holiday, huh?“

Newt chuckled. "You could say that…”

“Hopefully it’s quite the opposite with my upcoming… vacation.” The baker smirked and quickly shifted to check his pocket watch again.

Newt laughed and shook his head. “Knowing your bride, I should think so.”

The baker chuckled and kept fidgeting, checking his watch, checking his pockets for the rings. He stopped for a moment and stared out across the several habitats. “You still think it’s a good idea to do this here in the case?”

Newt frowned. “Why wouldn’t it? It’s too late now to change plans anyway.”

His friend shrugged. “I’m just saying… Edith’s right over there, watching, and she might get jealous of my bride.”

Newt glanced over to the Erumpent’s habitat, where the beast was grazing peacefully. “Uh no, she’s good, Jacob.”

“No hard feelings there, you think?”

He shook his head no. “None, or you would have known by now.”

The baker grinned. “Good. I’d hate to break her poor heart, you know?”

He watched his friend for a for more minutes, now seesawing on his feet while whistling a happy tune. His eyes darted about all the case, never resting long on one place. “Jacob, did you get stung by a Billywig perchance?”

“Wha-? No, why? I’m all good.”

“Because you’re very giddy… and even more jovial than usual. Do you feel like you’re about to float up into the air?”

Jacob grinned again.. “Nah, I’m peachy, buddy. Just nervous, is all. And when I’m nervous, I get funny like this…”

He frowned at his friend. “Why are you nervous now? You’ve been with her for years.”

“Yeah, and now I finally get to _marry_ the woman I love, man. You’ll see, when you and Tina finally get your act together.”

Newt swallowed heavily, trying not to think about that particular topic. He kept his voice carefully neutral. “If you say so.”

The man chuckled and clapped his back. “Just saying, Newt… there’s no one but her around to catch the bouquet later-on.”

In that moment Newt noticed a flurry of white from the corner of his eyes. He turned to watch the Goldstein sisters approach from a tent on the other side of the case; one of them was dressed in white, the other in a lovely shade of blue. “Here they come,” he announced.

Jacob nodded and together they took their place by the waiting gazebo. Jacob as the groom and Newt as his best man.

“Right then,” the groom whispered. “Time to put on the manacles, huh?”


	21. #21 Nightmare

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I paired this one with another [prompt](https://fantasticprompts.tumblr.com/post/166636018960/fantastic-promptober-oct-21) by @fantasticprompts.

**Shadows of the Past**

A thick sort of fog had settled down over the field. Its damp and cold spread into every nook and cranny, leaving the men cold and miserable. Only the heat of a fire was able to fend it off and so the officer’s quarters soon turned into the most desirable place to be in this godforsaken place. At least the enemy would not attempt another attack in these dreadful conditions… even the Germans were not that harebrained.

Newt Scamander kept walking the trenches, one of the few poor souls out on sentry duty and unable to escape the depressing damp. Not that there was much to be seen anyway. The impenetrable fog also cloaked the havocked no-man’s-land between the front lines.

He shivered and pulled the coat tighter around himself, grasping for his canteen as he did so. He yearned for a sip of Firewhiskey to burn away the cold and unease, but like so many other things, alcohol was short in supply here. Instead he rubbed his hands together to keep warm and continued on his route. Two more hours to go.

Signing up to fight this Muggle war had been a mistake, he knew now. The first years, serving with the Dragon Corps, had been bearable in comparison, but after its disbandment he had been sent to France… and into a new kind of hell altogether. Many of his Muggle comrades had signed up for the prospect of glory, to fight a war in his majesty’s name and return home a hero. But there were neither glory nor dignity in this.

Flashes of the horrors past appeared before his mind’s eye. Fallen soldiers covering the ground that had turned to bloody mud underneath his boots. Broken bodies begging for help, screaming in terror and pain while others had long since passed from this hell into the next. He could hear, see and smell the aftermath of those ambitious campaigns he had miraculously survived. Many other had not. Newt wrapped his arms around himself, as much to fend off the cold as to keep himself together.  

He turned a corner and found a dark shape hunched in the middle of the trench. It was barely visible through the fog that seemed even denser here. All warmth seemed to have been sucked right out of him… and with it what little had remained of his optimism. He called out to his comrad, voice shaking despite his best efforts not to show his turmoil. But the man didn’t react.

“You alright, Brennan?”

The dark shape moved at the sound. It straightened up and up and up, taller than any man, and turned to look at him. There were no eyes in the grey and scabbed face, hidden under a dark hodded cloak, but a gruesome mouth. A weak voice called out from underneath the Dementor. It had been preying on him.

No, on _her_. Pale skin, wavy dark hair… “Tina!” Her eyes pleaded for help that she didn’t have the strength to ask for anymore as the Dementor leaned back down to finish his feast. Newt reached for the wand he kept carefully hidden inside his sleeve. But it was gone. Not in his sleeves, not in his belt, not in his pockets. Gone.

“Expecto Patronum!” Nothing happened as he flicked his empty hand. He desperately scrambled his mind for a happier thought as he watched the foul thing bend over her for a kiss. He couldn’t let that happen.

“Expecto Patronum!” Nothing.

“Newt!” Her voice was thin and feeble as she called out for him. But without his wand he was helpless… even his gun would not do the Dementor any harm. He stumbled forward, reaching out to her as he mumbled the protective spell over and over again… without results.

“Expecto Pat-… Expecto… Expecto Patronum.”

Despair was the only thing left in him as he watched the hodded thing feed on the woman he loved…

“NEWT!” 

He woke with a start to find Tina sitting up next to him, one hand on his shoulder. Her eyes were filled with worry. “You had another nightmare, love.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The original encounter with the Dementor of course did not include Tina but the mentioned Private Brennan. He was sent home due to "shell shock" after Newt only barely managed to save the Muggle from an actual Dementor's kiss.


	22. #22 Happy

**Love, Newt**

Tina stopped at the sight of a creamy envelope waiting for her on the dinner table. It was addressed with peacock-blue ink and in Newt’s familiar handwriting. A smile stole across her face as she threw her coat over the rack and kicked off her shoes, then walked over to the stove to make herself a cup of coffee. She was stalling a bit, she knew, drawing out the pleasant anticipation of reading what Newt had to say. His last correspondance had only arrived three days ago by post and hadn’t been answered yet. This one was an irregular letter… and owl-delivered.

Finally, she settled down at the table, with a cup of coffee and a few cookies by her side, and reached for the precious parchment from overseas.

 

Dearest Tina,

I hope, Hardy managed to deliver this letter to you in time. I wish you a very happy birthday! This year I have heeded your wishes and did not include a present of the material sort. However, I do believe the contents of this letter will bring a smile to your lips nonetheless. At least I hope it will.

To follow up on my last letter: My recent application for another expedition into South American territory has sadly been denied by the authorities there. Apparently, me and my suitcase are too much of a security concern to allow into the country. Can you believe it? I considered going anyway, but my brother advised me not to as I now have a certain reputation to uphold. I’m afraid he is right in that regard… any more public _incidents_ and I won’t be allowed to travel anywhere anymore. And I could not bear the thought of not being allowed into New York again.

My last departure from your city was only two months ago, but I have to admit that it has been the hardest yet. Forgive me for being so blunt, but I find myself longing for your company. I dare say it has been that way for some time, but knowing now that I am not alone in my sentiments has made it even harder to ignore. Since my return I often climb out of my suitcase and find myself disappointed to be standing in my own home rather than your apartment. A strange thing, is it not… considering how little time I have actually spent there.

To cut a long story short: I will take the opportunity of an empty schedule to come visit you, Tina. This morning I booked passage on a steamship to New York, arriving on the 5th of September. Please tell me I was not too bold in doing so. 

I look very much forward to seeing and holding you again.

Love,

Newt

PS: Pickett sends his greetings and wishes you a happy birthday too, as you can see in the upper corner of this sheet. The pawprint next to it belongs to Dougal, who was very insistent he be included in this letter as well. They look forward to seeing you as well, I assume.

 

Tina read his letter thrice before she could fully understand the words written and take in the meaning behind them. In two weeks time, Newt would visit her again! And this time for no other reason than seeing her, it seemed. An excited flush coloured her face, paired with a wide grin that she felt the need to hide behind her hand.

She, too, found herself longing for his company. And she missed the sight of his suitcase sitting in her livingroom as if it belonged there. A warm glow of happiness bloomed in her chest at the thought. Only two more weeks and he would be back. It was the best birthday present he could have given her.


	23. #23 Sad

**Here's to You**

The double doors to the office fell shut behind her with a crash, but Seraphina Picquery didn’t pay any attention it. She steered her feet directly to the liquor cabinet in the corner and poured herself a drink.

Blishen’s Firewhisky. His favourite drink on the rare occasions he actually indulged in one. Aged for 39 years and supposedly the highest quality Scotch one could get for money. _Almost as old as I am!_ she heard him still chuckle in her mind. Seraphina shook her head and put the bottle down. He was gone, now. Well and truly gone.

Even after Scamander had revealed the imposter, she had held out hope for him to be found. And after lengthy and tedious interrogations of Grindelwald, they actually had – buried in a ditch in the middle of nowhere.

Glass in hand, she moved over to the window. From up here she had one of the best views of the city, yet she rarely ever got to enjoy it as he so often had pointed out. She closed her eyes, remembering that she wouldn’t even be here if it hadn’t been for him. Only the stark support of the war hero and Head of Aurors had gained her enough votes to be elected and re-elected as President. And in turn she had appointed him as her second in command… which ultimately had cost him his life.

She sighed. To everyone else, he had been a professional Auror through and through, always putting his work and later the security of their country first. But she had also known the other side of him. The man behind the Director of Security. They had been friends since their time at Ilvermorny, though reluctant at first. From the start he had been every bit as ambitious as her, which had made them a perfect team as over time they grew to admire and respect one another.

Seraphina smiled at the memory of their long gone Ilvermorny years, the playful competition between them right until graduation. Back then everyone had assumed them to be a couple. An unusual one, but a couple nonetheless. She chuckled and shook her head. They did not know that his interests lay elsewhere, where as she herself had none… Those secrets were well kept by the both of them.

And now, he was dead. Her longest friend and most supportive ally was dead. And through her strains of Office she hadn’t even noticed he was gone. That was the hardest part of it.

The man had been to war for years and she had felt his absence keenly then. But now… to have him vanish right under her nose without her realising it for weeks… and then to be mocked for it by her own prisoner during the interrogations… Her hand tightened around the glass as she imagined it was Grindelwald’s neck.

He had put up one hell of a fight, that much even Grindelwald had admitted with the proper respect. But in the end, he had fallen like so many others had before him. It was not the death he had deserved, but it was not one he would feel ashamed about either. He died fighting and resisting the most powerful dark wizard of their time.

“Here’s to you, Percy,” she said, raising the glass of Firewhiskey to the city of New York below her, and downed its contents. The long burn down her throat was a satisfying one. It took some of the pain with it and cleared her mind for the task ahead.

Now she needed to find a new right-hand man for her remaining year in office. The current Acting Director of Security would be a good choice for the job, she knew, though he could never replace all she had lost with Percival Graves.


	24. #24 Winter

**Graceful as ever**

“You’re going out, Teen?” Her sister watched her from the open bedroom door, comfortable bundled up in her pink quilt to fend off the cold morning air.

She nodded and reached for her coat. “Yeah, I gotta go in to work. They make no _heavy weather_ exceptions for us Aurors.”

Queenie hummed and yawned. “Wand Permit’s gonna be closed down for the next two days at least, you know. You still excited to be back with the MID?”

“You know I am.” She grinned and moved to hug her sister goodbye. “I’ll be back by six at the latest. Don’t forget to keep up the warding charms… it’s gonna be freezing out there today.”

“Sure thing. And you don’t forget to button up that coat.” The blonde smirked. “It’s gonna be freezing out there today.”

Tina huffed a laughed and buttoned up her winter coat as instructed before wrapping the scarf around her neck and completing the set with her cloche hat. “Bye, Queenie.”

She left the cozy warmth of her apartment and made her way down four cold flights of stairs into an even colder New York morning. The streets were nearly deserted on her way to the nearest safe back alley. 

Winters in this city were cold and unpleasant at the best of times… and even more so in the face of an approaching blizzard. After ten steps out she was already glad not having to walk all the way to the Woolworth building. With the growing storm the temperatures had dropped significantly, turning simple snowflakes into little ice pricks. They stung painfully on bare skin.

And this was only the beginning… Like her sister, all non-essential staff at MACUSA had been given time off to stay safe during this snowstorm. But this decision did not affect the Aurors. Even the freshly reinstated ones like herself.

A strong gust of wind nearly blew her hat off as she turned the final corner into her alley. Five more steps, then she whipped out her wand and disapparated to the nearest safe spot by MACUSA. Her landing there was a graceful as could be expected when a sizeable snow drift was involved: not at all. She staggered, lost her balance and finally tumbled down into the snow with a shriek.

“Dammit! Graceful as ever, Goldstein.” She got back up immediately and looked around in a panic… but thankfully no one had been around to witness her embarrassing fall. Auror Tina Goldstein breathed a sigh of relief, quickly brushed the snow off her clothing and hurried on into the safety and warmth of an eerily empty MACUSA building.


	25. #25 Summer

**I Can't Help Feeling This Way**

“Come on, Teenie. You two can’t stay on land all day,” Queenie called out from the water. “Join us for some swimming!”

At her sister’s insistence, the four of them had gone to Jersey for the weekend to spend the hottest days of the summer at the beach. It had sounded like a bright idea… right until the moment she had realised that she would be nearly naked in front of Newt, wearing only her swimdress. And that thought had come far too late as well – about hour ago when she had gotten changed in one of the stalls by the beach.

“No, I think we’re just fine here.” Lucky for her, she had packed a shawl. The light fabric covered her just well enough while providing some protection against the blazing sun. An ideal cover, so to speak, while they sat on their blanket and enjoyed the fresh air. 

Newt smiled at her. “Are you afraid of the water, Tina?” 

“No, I’m not.” She bristled at the idea of him thinking that, and tried to come up with a suitable excuse for her reluctance. “Someone has to keep you company on dry land, though. You’re not exactly dressed for a day at the beach, much less for swimming, Mr. Scamander.”

Unlike the rest of them, Newt had not gotten changed at all. Though, his jacket and waistcoat now lay neatly folded on top of his case, boots right beside it. A while ago he’d even gone so far as to roll up his shirtsleeves. But even with bare feet and arms, he was not suitably dressed for a day at the beach.

The man in question chuckled. “If that’s the problem, then I believe I’ll have to change into one of those ridiculous swimsuits after all. I wouldn’t want you to stay behind merely for my sake.”

Tina blanched as Newt got up and reached into his case to retrieve a smaller bag. “You really don’t have to, Newt. I don’t mind just sitting here.”

But he wouldn’t have any of it. “Nonsense. I’ll be right back.” 

She groaned. So much for her perfect excuse to stay dry and not having to take her shawl off in front of him. It wasn’t just the lack of clothing… Frankly, she just looked ridiculous in her swimdress. Once in the water no one would actually see her, of course, but the way across the beach was a long one. Newt would take one look and see her for the ridiculous and undesirable woman she actually was.

A few minutes later he returned from one of the stalls, sporting a not exactly modern-cut swimsuit with broad stripes of blue and white. He grinned at her from underneath his floppy fringe as he came closer, gesturing at his new apparel. “Better suited for the beach now?”

Tina couldn’t help a chuckle at the incredulous sight. “What is that?”

“It’s a swimsuit, of course.”

She snorted. “Yeah. The pre-war version, by the looks of it.”

His monstrosity of a swimsuit consisted of two pieces. A loose top with short sleeves covered him from neck to nearly mid-thigh while the equally loose bottoms reached down to his knees. A very modest outfit even by ancient standards… and very unflattering. To her surprise, Tina found herself a little disappointed by that. She would not have minded to be subjected to a little more of his freckled skin.

Newt grinned and shrugged at her comment. “You’re not off by much with that estimate. Never bothered getting a new one after my school days were over. I’m not much of a swimmer, you see.” He paused for a second. “I mean, not in public places like this at least. I can swim. And I quite enjoy it too.”

She shook her head with laughter and waved him off. “You go on, then.”

“You’re not coming?” A hint of disappointment coloured his voice.

“Uhm… I shouldn’t.” She gestured at his suitcase, now lying under a pile of neatly folded clothing. “We can’t leave this unattended in a public place like this. My boss would have my head if anything got out.”

Chuckling, Newt crouched down next to her and discreetly worked a number of spells on it. “There. Reinforced Locking Spells and a Disillusionment Charm so no one will get ideas of taking it while we’re off.”

And there went her next excuse. Tina bit her lip as Newt looked at her expectantly, offering his hand to help her get up.

“Come on, Tina. Just wet your feet a little of you can’t swim. I’ll hold on to you, if that would make you feel better.”

She felt an embarrassed heat rise to her cheeks. “I _can_ swim, Newt!”

“Right. Then why-?”

“I look ridiculous, is why.”

He raised an eyebrow and gestured at his own garments with a chuckle. “I highly doubt people will find you ridiculous next to this outdated monstrosity.”

Tina sighed. He might be right about that, but… “I’m not worried about _people_ , Newt.”

“Well, with this many humans here, I’m not sure there will be any marine creatures around to judge you, either.”

She didn’t say anything to that and instead pulled the shawl a little tighter around herself. Why did he have to be so adorably thick at times? Things between them were still new and fresh, but still… it should be obvious, shouldn’t it?

Her continued silence apparently spoke volumes to him, though. “Oh! You mean-.” He shook his head. “You don’t need to worry, Tina. Ridiculous is quite alright with me.”

She shot him a disbelieving look. Did he just call her-?

“Not that I think you’re ridiculous,” he hastily added. “No, not at all. It’s just that… I don’t care how you look.” 

She frowned, causing Newt to grimace in response. 

“Ugh.” He hid his face behind his hand for a moment. “I’m not good with words today, Tina. What I mean to say is… You don’t need to be uncomfortable around me. Ever. And seeing you in a swimsuit certainly won’t change how I feel to the negative.”

Tina chuckled at the blush creeping up his neck as he quickly looked away. “Sorry, that was… inappropriate.”

“It’s okay, Newt. Thank you.” She still felt torn over the issue, though his comment had taken some of the initial dread out of it.

“So, about that swim… Would you feel more comfortable, if I kept my back towards you until we’re in the water?” He smiled and stood again, holding his hand out to help her up as well. “You can’t feel much better than I did under those layers of fabric in this heat.”

She nodded. “Yeah, I… Okay.”

Strong arms pulled her up to stand when she took his offered hand. They got lost in each others eyes for a short moment before Newt respectfully turned as he had promised. He didn’t let go of her hand, though. “Tell me when you’re ready to go.”

Tina took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, then pulled away her shawl to reveal the form-fitting and frilly swimdress Queenie had talked her into wearing today. “I’m ready.”

She could hear the grin in his voice as he tugged her forward. “Alright, then. Let’s go.”


	26. #26 Different Time

**Above the Clouds**

“We could have flooed, you know.”

Newt chuckled and made sure their tickets were still safely inside his jeans pocket. “I know, love. You’ve mentioned it once or twice before.” Or to be precise: every single day since he had announced that they would travel to England the Muggle way. “Right, do you have everything? Your Muggle passport?”

She brandished the small blue booklet from her bag and waved it for him to see. “I’m all set, Newt. Suitcase, carry-on bag, passport. You got the tickets.”

“Okay, let’s go then.” He grinned at her before disapparating.

 

The JFK airport was a busy place even in the evening, but through previous experience he managed to find their terminal easily.

“So far I’m not impressed by this,” Tina hissed as they stood in line for yet another security check. She kept suspiciously watching the people around them. “There’s so many No-… people here. We’d already be in London if we’d gone through the hearth, you know.”

Newt smiled at her impatience and put his arm around her waist. “Calm down, love.” He tipped her chin up for a kiss. “This is the last line before boarding, I promise. And after this it’s only those who will travel with us.”

She sighed. “Why are we doing this again?”

“Because you’ve never been on a plane before. Trust me, it’s an experience worth having.”

She snorted. “I really don’t know how seven hours trapped in a metal box over the ocean will be an _experience worth having_.”

“You’ll see,” he said cryptically and moved forward with their line.

 

He ushered her into the window seat and rummaged around his battered suitcase until he found his rarely used mobile and headphones.

“What are you doing?” Tina wondered, eyeing the Muggle things with curiosity.

“Blending in,” he chuckled. “Jacob helped me to put some music on here, in case you grow tired of your book and don’t enjoy the movies they have.” He smirked. “You still like the Weird Sisters, right? And Myron Wagtail?”

She groaned. “Mercy Lewis. I should never have told you about that!”

 

She clutched his hand tightly as the plane accelerated and took off.

“Open your eyes, Tina,” he gently prompted her over the noise of the engines. “You’ll miss it.”

Tina exhaled slowly and finally looked out of the window. “Merlin’s beard,” she whispered in wonder. Together they watched New York City become smaller and smaller until the world vanished from view beneath the clouds.

She gasped in awe when they finally had reached their flight altitude and glided above the vast sea of fluffy clouds, painted white and golden in the light of the setting sun. “Oh, wow! It’s beautiful, Newt.”

 

She fell asleep on his shoulder about three hours in, the unread book slowly slipping from her lap. Newt caught it barely in time before it could clatter to the ground.

“Would you like a blanket, sir?” one of the flight attendants asked as she passed by a few minutes later.

“Yes, that would be lovely. Thanks.”

He managed to spread the two pieces of fabric over them without waking his sleeping witch. “Sleep well, love,” he murmured against the crown of her head.

He fell asleep not long after.

 

Their plane had safely touched down at Heathrow Airport around eight in the morning and despite all odds they had gotten enough of a rest to seize the day immediately afterwards. Tina grumbled at having yet again to wait in line for their suitcases and another passport control (separately this time, as she was not a citizen).

“So… how did you like your first flight?” he inquired curiously after they had left the arrival area.

Tina hummed. “I don’t care much for all the waiting around, but the rest of it was… surprisingly an experience worth having.”

Newt beamed at her. “Good to hear that… since we’ll take the same route to go home.”

He led her out of the building and to a more secluded spot near one of the parking areas, where thye stopped and gathered around his suitcase. “We better put your things in here for now. It makes the Side-Along less tricky.”

Newt Scamander pulled his girlfriend into a close embrace afterwards. “Now… are you ready to finally meet my parents, Tina Goldstein?”


	27. #27 Lyric Inspiration

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is inspired by the lyrics of Queen's [I Want It All](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFDcoX7s6rE). Let me know what you think.

**Here's to The Future**

A troubled mind, they had called him. But he was not... No, he was brilliant. So brilliant and advanced, actually, that others had trouble following his ideas, understanding them. But instead of trying, they had denied him any further education. Called him dark and twisted. Sent him out onto the streets to fend for himself.

Oh, what a mistake that had been. It was out here, where he had gotten the best schooling of all. And he had come to one conclusion: the witless and powerless should not be left to rule themselves. It inevitably resulted in misery and ruin. He had seen enough examples during his wandering years, his quest in search for answers.

No, those without magic would be far better off under someone worthy of a ruling place. People with exceptional power and people with great wisdom to guide them. People like him, the most powerful of wizardkind. The world would be better for it.

_Wizardkind_ would be better for it. They would not have to cover in fear of the ungifted anymore and instead rise above them. Rightfully so! The world should be theirs for the taking! But instead they dwelled in the shadows, restricting themselves and their abilities in the name of security. What a waste.

He knew there were like-minded people out there, only waiting for someone like him to rouse them. Albus had only been the first. He had shared his views on the matter, even gone so far as to shape up grand plans with him... until an unfortunate incident had caused him to loose focus.

But it did not matter. No, others would come to see his ideas for what they were: the revolution that wizardkind needed in order to evolve.

He had a plan. Oh yes, he did. That unfortunate incident in Godric's Hollow had shown him exactly what kind of power lay in magic, lurking in the deepest recesses, waiting to be unlocked. He only needed to find one more being of such power and study it for its secrets, make their power his own. 

And then, once the Deathly Hallows were his to command, no one could stand in his way as he helped wizardkind to take its rightful place!


	28. #28 Instrument

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I advice listening to [this](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nT7_IZPHHb0) before or during your read. Just... to get the actual emotions across.

**Transparency**

When the festive Christmas spirit in the livingroom became too cheerful for his liking, Newt found himself hidden away in the library, sitting at the grand piano and toying with the once so familiar keys. He hadn’t played the instrument for a long time… but some actions and movements were hard to forget entirely.

It was not long before his random fiddling turned into a tune, a slow and haunting one. It reflected his current mood far too well, but the cathartic feeling that came with the play was too good to pass up. His pain had been buried far too long and words hadn’t helped to get it out yet, neither written nor yelled into the void. Music, though… that did help.

The footsteps announced him long his words did. “Beethoven’s _Moonlight Sonata_. I haven’t heard you play that one in ages.”

“You haven’t heard me play anything in ages, Theseus.”

The man hummed in agreement and walked over to the slim window, leaning against the sill to watch him. His broad frame now blocked out a good part of what little daylight had made it through before. With an audience in the room Newt couldn’t help but straighten up on the bench and play more seriously. Years of tutoring had ingrained that particular habit in both of them…

“Who broke your heart this time, little brother?”

Newt stopped mid-movement, fingers hovering over the black and white keys for a moment before continuing as if nothing had disrupted the play. “Am I that transparent now?”

“Only your choice of music, brother. You seemed quite alright before that.” He shook his head. “Leta Lestrange… that was a summer I’m not likely to forget. I don’t think you played anything but that first movement for a fortnight.”

“Three weeks,” he corrected him automatically.

“Yes, _three_ weeks. Are you subjecting us to that again, Newt?”

With a dejected sigh he stopped playing and closed the fallboard. “Don’t worry, I won’t.”

“What did your Miss Goldstein do?”

His gazed rested on one of the bookshelves now, looking at the leather-bound volumes without actually seeing them. “Nothing, Theseus.”

And that was the problem. After years of subtle (and then not so subtle) allusions and questions strewn into their correspondence and conversations had gone unnoticed by her, he had finally decided to wear his heart on his sleeve for once. He had poured his heart out in a long and, in hindsight, probably quite embarrassing letter to her. But after three months, she had yet to give him an answer… or at least acknowledge its existence in their regular correspondence. 

“She did absolutely nothing,” he repeated. And that itself should be answer enough for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the same letter they talked about in [Scene 1 (Prompt #15)](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12256143/chapters/28305645)… these two and a few other Oktober Prompt pieces are part of the same storyline.


	29. #29 Dance

**Not A Crush**

Tina trudged upstairs after another gruesomely boring day at the Wand Permit Office. She wanted nothing more than to quietly curl up on the couch with a book and a mug of cocoa, loosing herself in comfortable fiction. But instead, she opened her apartment door to find the all lights on and two simple dresses hovering in the living room.

“Hey, Teenie! Which one do you wanna wear tonight?” Her sister was busy in their bedroom, dancing to a merry tune from the wireless and dressing up by the looks of it.

_None, Queenie_ , she answered in her mind, too tired to use actual words. She sighed as she slipped out of her coat and hoped that would be enough to put an end to it.

“Bold choice, I gotta say.”

Of course, it wasn’t. She shot her sister a glare. _I’m not going to the Halloween party this year._

“Bushwa, Teenie! You can’t hide forever, you know.” The blonde slipped from the bedroom and mustered the two choices still hovering mid-air. “Hm… definitely the silver one.”

With a flick of her wand the other immediately sailed back into her closet. Another twirl added some finishing touches to the chosen dress. Namely, a layer of moving, sparkling spiderwebs.

“Please don’t make me go, Queenie.”  

“Of course not, but it’s a MACUSA thing. We all gotta be there and you know it.”

Tina sighed. Stupid _Attandance Mandatory_ rule… She had no desire whatsoever to go and be the gossip of the evening.

“Come on, Teen. It’s been over a month now, there’s new gossip around.” Her sister smirked. “Besides, didn’t you wanna ask Director Graves for a dance this year?”

Tina blushed. “No. Not gonna happen.”

“Why not?” Queenie giggled. “No better time than now, when he’s not your boss anymore!”

She grabbed the dress and marched into the bedroom to get changed. “I’m not gonna ask him,” she called over her shoulder. Her menace of a sister snickered. “And neither are you, Queenie!”

“Oh, don’t be such a wet blanket. He’s not gonna say no to a dance, ‘specially with you wearing that dress.”

Tina realised what she meant when she slipped the enchanted fabric over her shoulders. The neckline absolutely bordered on indecent. _Deliverance, help me!_

“There’s headpiece to go with it,” Queenie giggled from the livingroom. “And put on that red lipstick while your in there. You’ll be quite the looker!”

Half an hour later, all done up and absolutely not ready for a night out, Tina Goldstein entered the Woolworth building. _I’m not gonna dance with Graves, though!_ she told her sister silently. 

“Whatever you say, Teenie.” 

Two hours and several shots of Gigglewater later, though, she was beyond the feeling of embarrassment and _did_ ask her crush for a dance. Director Percival Graves rolled his eyes in mild amusement, but accepted gracefully.


	30. #30 Food

**A Special Order**

Bakery sold out and closed up for the day, Jacob Kowalski retreated into the darkening backroom. He whistled a happy tune as he took a look around the nearly sparkling heart of his bakery, making sure that his assistant Henry had left everything the way he had been told to. Of course, he had. The lad was nothing if not meticulous in his work.

He went to check on the dry stocks then, and took what he needed with him to the large worktable in the room. Flour and sugars. The eggs and butter were already set out, waiting to be turned into something delicious. And this would be one special cake. Jacob smiled as he started working.

He whisked the butter and sugar into a frothy cream, then added the eggs one by one and beat in the baking powder. He sifted the flour and stirred it into the frothy mixture with practised hands.

Jacob then took his time to carefully rasp and grate two lemons for its zest and extracted the juice. Both found their way into his mixing bowl, too, together with a hint of vanilla. Gently now, he mixed and folded the batter with his spatula, trying to keep as much of the frothy volume as possible as he added just a little more flour into the mix. There, a perfect texture.

Whistling, the baker went on to fill the batter into the dishes he had prepared earlier this afternoon. There were three of them, all circular in form but with varying sizes. He carefully jiggled them around a bit, smoothing the surface and getting rid of any unwanted air inside the batter. Holes and bubbles just wouldn’t do… this cake needed to be perfect.

The bakery oven soon swallowed all three of the baking dishes and Jacob used the time to clean up the table and prepare what he needed for step two of tonight’s special order.

Some time later, Queenie entered the bakery through the backdoor. Just as he laid the fresh-out-the-oven cake bases onto a rack to cool. She smiled tiredly at him.

“Hey, doll. How was your day?”

“Same old, honey. She’s driving me crazy with her nerves and insecurities, though she tries to put on a calm face.” She pulled up a chair to watch her husband work. “I can’t wait for tomorrow to be over.”

“Come on-” he chuckled, “-is that the way you talk about your sister’s wedding?”

Queenie sighed. “You’re right. And I _am_ happy for her. Both of them. How’s the cake coming along?”

Jacob gathered another whisk and mixing bowl. “I was just getting started on the frosting. Wanna help?”

“Sure, as long as I can sit.” She stroked over her protruding belly, where their child was now growing. “The little one’s been kicking up a fuss all day and my feet hurt something fierce.”

“Then you just sit back and relax, doll.” He grinned. _Your wand would sure come in handy with the decorations later-on, though._

Queenie chuckled. “You got it. So, how’s Newt doing?”

The baker shrugged. “He’s out with his brother right now. Or more like, Theseus is out with him so I can make the cake in peace.”

“That bad, huh?”

He grinned at his wife. “It’s what you get when you tell a man in love that he can’t see his sweetheart before the wedding.”


	31. #31 Writer's Pick

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have a modernday AU featuring Auror Tina on Halloween duty. This far too long “drabble” also doubles as a fill for the last [Promptober Prompt](https://fantasticprompts.tumblr.com/post/166876286965/fantastic-promptober-oct-28) by @fantasticprompts.
> 
> And with this one I complete my October Prompt writings. I hope you enjoyed it!

**A Witch's Familiar**

Halloween. For most of the No-Majs and Wizardkind it was the most fantastical time of the year: dressing up in extravagant or shocking costumes, walking up to stranger's houses and begging for candy, playing tricks and spooking each other for fun...

For Aurors it was unarguably the worst holiday of the year. Numerous wizards and witches trying to get away with a bit of magic in the open, poorly disguising it as mere magic tricks and slights of hand. People under the influence having their "fake" wands stolen by equally drunk No-Maj teens. And then some individuals thought to make a quick Dragot by selling potions and artifacts to No-Majs... conceived fakes that were anything but and often caused serious harm or damage. The number of illicit activities always spiked towards the end of October, and found its peak on Halloween night.

This year it was Tina and a small group of Aurors who patrolled the streets of Manhattan. MACUSA knew their usual culprits and had eyes on them, but feet on the ground were necessary, too. They knew what to look out for to stop any newcomers from spreading magical items among the No-Majs this night. So far, it had been pretty quiet, though.

"Alright, let's make a turn right over there and head back east again," Tina proposed. It would bring them right by Central Park, a hot-spot for illicit trade on Halloween.

The group was suitably dressed up to blend in with the unsuspecting No-Majs. There was the pirate, Johnson, complete with eyepatch to hide his actual missing eye. Diez had gone with a clown costume, though not the bright and colourful kind children were so fond of, while Higgins had turned into the token vampire for the night. Tina herself had made the most obvious costume choice there was. To the amusement of her colleagues she had donned dark robes and a pointy hat to dress up as a witch.

"I still don't know what's up with your cat, Goldstein," Higgins commented as they made their way across the street. "Something doesn't feel right about it."

Tina rolled her eyes and righted her pointy hat. This witch came with an actual familiar following on her heels tonight. "You say that about every animal."

Not long after their patrol had started, they had been joined by a red tabby cat. Much to her chagrin, she had instantly recognized the animal as an Animagus. And a certain, familiar Animagus, at that. Newton Artemis Fido Scamander, Magizoologist and overly curious boyfriend. He had wanted to see her on the job for a while now... and apparently thought tonight was a good time for it.

"Yeah, something's not right with that cat. It hissed and scratches at me when I tried to pet it earlier," Diez complained. "And cats usually love me."

"It's a he," Tina corrected them. "And yes, he's a very unusual fellow." She looked down to see Newt trotting right beside her on the sidewalk, as he had been for the past hour. "Overly stubborn, too. You must be bored out of your mind by now." The cat meowed up at her but stuck close.

"You got a very loyal companion there," Johnson added. She could tell from the tone of his voice that the older Auror knew exactly what the cat was.

She chuckled. "I know."

"Wait, that's your pet?" Diez exclaimed. He was the youngest of their group, barely out of training and still lacking a little in the observation department, it seemed.

"Something like that, yes."

Her wristband vibrated softly as a new message from headquarters came in. "We got a new address," she announced. " A 401." Spike of magical activity in a No-Maj residence.

The group nodded and ducked into the nearest alley, waiting for the leading witch to pick up her familiar before disapparating. "Okay. Let's go, people."

 

The address belonged to an old brownstone, not unsimilar to her own home. This one stood in a better part of Manhattan though, and was fixed up lavishly with spooky Halloween decorations. Thick spiderwebs, moving skeletons that looked eerily realistic, a few Jack O' Lanterns on the stairs...

"Keep your wands out," Tina said as she put her hand on the doorknob. "We don't know what we're dealing with."

A voice from the back spoke up. "Probably just a bunch of kids having fun on Halloween. How bad can it be?"

Just then a shrieking sound could be heard from inside, followed by a number of panicked screams.

Tina turned back to Diez and glared at him. "Yeah, just how bad can it be?"

The front door clicked open before her, revealing an equally enthusiastically decorated inside of the house. These No-Majs really went all out for Halloween, it seemed.

"Newt, no!"

The moment the door was open, the tabby cat bolted forward, off into the hallway and vanishing through the next open door, deeper into the house. Tina only barely supressed her impulse to run in after him. He was a capable wizard, she told herself. He'd been all over the world, wrangling down beasts off all kinds... he'd be able to look after himself. And Newt probably knew a great deal more about what lay ahead than they did, thanks to his cat senses.

"Goldstein. We going in or what?"

She nodded at Higgins and slowly proceeded into the house, wand raised and ready to stun whatever was waiting for them here. The smell of something burning became stronger, the further she got in. The hallway was empty of No-Majs or any threats, though, as was the kitchen beyond.

"Livingroom," Johnson mouthed, pointing to the swing door in front of her. The smokey smell seemed to come from behind there.

She nodded. "Diez, front door. Make sure, no one leaves behind our backs." She watched the young Auror retreat before pushing through the door... and stopped in her tracks not two steps into the room.

Tina Goldstein had expected some form of havoc and mayhem waiting for her in the livingroom and she was not disappointed: furniture overthrown and smashed, parts of it on fire. Just like some of the spooky decorations were. She had, however, not expected to see her boyfriend right in the midst of it. Newt Scamander was kneeling by the stylish fireplace and cooed at a medium-sized baby dragon that mustered him curiously.

"Calm down now," she heard him say. "Everything's going to be alright. You're going to be alright." The dragon sniffed at his outstretched hand for a moment before erupting into a violent sneeze, spewing little sparks everywhere.

Tina finally reacted then, checking for further creatures and locating the No-Majs that had to be here somewhere. She found them huddled together by the second doorway, staring at the scene in disbelief. As were her colleagues, much to her dismay.

"Right. Higgins, put the fires out. Johnson, look after the people there."

The watched them scramble before carefully approaching Newt and the beast. "Care to explain, mister?"

He glanced at her for a short moment, not letting the baby dragon out of his sight for long. By now it had calmed down again and even became agreeable to some petting. Curious little creature.

"You know that I've been tracking a group of traffickers for a while now," he said. "Stolen dragon eggs, from reserves and wild nests alike. They never showed up on the markets, though."

Tina nodded. "Yeah, I remember. "

"Well, meet one of the eggs." He gestured at the beast before him, and the pile of crimson eggshells near the fire.

She stared at him. "How did you-?"

"I overheard some No-Majs talking on the subway this morning, saying someone was selling really realistic looking dragon eggs on this internet thing the Muggles have. This is a Chinese Fireball and their eggs are really a sight to behold." He grimaced. "Of course, extravagant people like this would want one for their Halloween decorations."

"Mercy Lewis... why would anyone want that?"

Newt shook his head. "Apparently they're all the rage now. Something about a television show from what I heard."

Tina shook her head. "Poor beast. That must have been a shock, hatching in here." She watched the scarlet hatchling clumsily taking a few steps towards them. "Please take care of him until the Beast Division arrives, okay?"

Newt nodded and settled down, rummaging through his coat pockets. "Come here, you. You must be hungry, huh?"

She turned back to find Higgins idling about now that the fires were out, curiously watching the scene again. "Higgins, we got a trafficking situation going on here. Go back to headquarters and fill them in. And call in the Beast Division with their Dragonologists."

"Yeah, okay. I'm on it." The Auror in his vampire get-up stared for a few moments longer before finally disapparating... hopefully back to MACUSA.

"Who are you?" the older No-Maj suddenly called out from the back, eyes wide and still slightly shocked by the turn of events. "And what is that thing? And that guy? He was a cat and then-" He gestured wildly. "Just... who are you people?"

"Don't worry, sir," Tina calmed him, quickly slipping off the pointy hat for a more professional look. "We're police. That _thing_ is a Dragon, just hatched from the egg you bought online. Care to tell us a bit more about that?"

That seemed to do something to the man, suddenly turning defensive at the realisation of strangers and the police in his home. "I'm not gonna answer any questions until I see a badge first!"

Tina rolled her eyes and produced one, thankful that MACUSA's Auror badges were charmed to appear as ordinary NYPD ones to any No-Maj eyes. "Now, the egg. Who sold it to you?"

 

By the end of the night, there had been 10 more incidents of freshly hatched dragons in Muggle homes all across the country. And one successful major arrest of a trafficking ring. The group operating from a dusty old warehouse in Brooklyn had not been quick enough in vacating the premises, though not for lack of trying.

Tina fell into her desk chair in the small hours of the morning, groaning in delight of being off her feet for the first time in hours.

Newt grinned at the sight, offering her a well-deserved cup of coffee. "You did well tonight. I wouldn't be surprised if your next promotion came up a little faster after this."

She shook her head. "No, _we_ did well tonight. Though I don't appreciate you keeping things like that from me. You said you'd be out with Jacob."

He shrugged. "It was just a hunch I had... there was no way of knowing if they'd even hatch tonight. Not all of the buyers put their eggs by the fire, after all. And I wouldn't have been allowed to tag along on an official Auror investigation."

She shot him a glare ove the rim of her mug. "You wouldn't have been allowed to tag along on any Auror business, actually. You're lucky you're a cute little tabby or Higgins might have kicked you to get rid of you."

She heard a pile of paper dropping to the floor behind her. "Wait, you're-?" Tina turned around to find Diez standing a few paces behind them.

"-the cat that tagged along earlier?" Newt chuckled. "Yes. I'm an Animagus."

The young Auror stared at them. "Oh no. I'm _so_ sorry!"

"Where do you think he dropped by from so suddenly?" Tina couldn't help but ask after Newt accepted the apology.

The man shrugged and hastily raked the papers together before dropping them onto Tina's desk. "I dunno. Came in with the Beast Division perhaps?" He quickly glanced at Newt again before hurrying off again into the maze of cubicles, muttering to himself. "Mercy Lewis, I tried to pet Newt Scamander today!"

" _Tried_ being the key word there," Newt grinned after he had left. He leaned close and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear, as he so often did to show his affection in public. "There's only one Auror who gets to pet me, cat or otherwise."

Tina smiled up at him. "I love you, too."

 


End file.
